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Behavioral Effects of β-Endorphin in Depression and Schizophrenia

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Endorphins and Opiate Antagonists in Psychiatric Research

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Abstract

The existence of specific opiate receptors in primate brain and pituitary (Kuhar et al., 1973) and of endogenous peptide ligands for these receptors (Goldstein, 1976; Wilkes et al., 1980) suggests that these endogenous opiates (endorphins) may have a role in regulating human behavior. In addition to possible involvement in nociception (Hosobuchi and Li, 1978; Oyama et al., 1980; von Knörring et al., 1979), a role of the endorphins in mental illness has been a focus of scientific interest. There are several reasons that suggest such a role: (1) endorphins and opiate receptors are found in brain areas thought to be important in regulating behavior (Watson et al., 1979); (2) there is an interaction of endorphins with neurotransmitter systems, especially dopamine (Van Loon and Kim, 1978; Watson et al., 1979), thought to be important in mental illness; (3) preliminary animal research has indicated a neurolepticlike effect of endorphins, based on alteration of conditioned avoidance behavior (de Wied et al., 1978a) and production of catalepsy (Bloom et al., 1976; Jacquet and Marks, 1976); and (4) the common exogenous opiate alkaloids (e.g., morphine, heroin) have psychoactive properties that include production of psychoticlike states or euphoria, as well as a reduction of symptoms in some psychopathologic states (Verebey et al., 1978).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Robert H. Gerner

  2. Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA

    David A. Gorelick

  3. Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Don H. Catlin

  4. The Hormone Research laboratory, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA

    Cho Hao Li

Authors
  1. Robert H. Gerner
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  2. David A. Gorelick
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  3. Don H. Catlin
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  4. Cho Hao Li
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA

    Nandkumar S. Shah Ph.D. (Chief of Research Services, Research Professor, Adjunct Professor) (Chief of Research Services, Research Professor, Adjunct Professor)

  2. William S. Hall Psychiatric Institute, Department of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, South Carolina, USA

    Alexander G. Donald M.D. (Director, Professor and Chairman) (Director, Professor and Chairman)

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© 1982 Plenum Publishing Corporation

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Gerner, R.H., Gorelick, D.A., Catlin, D.H., Li, C.H. (1982). Behavioral Effects of β-Endorphin in Depression and Schizophrenia. In: Shah, N.S., Donald, A.G. (eds) Endorphins and Opiate Antagonists in Psychiatric Research. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1119-5_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1119-5_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-1121-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-1119-5

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